Stirrup.



N. W. LEADBETTER.

STIRRUP.

`APPLICATION FILED ocT. 31. I9I4.

1 ,138,492. Patented May 4, 1.915.

THE NORRIS PETERS C0.. PHOTCNJTHO.. WASHINGTON, D. c

,l unirsi) strains PATENT orifice.

NOBLE W. LEADBE'FTER, OF BICKLETON, WASHINGTON, `.ASSIGrNOR OF ONE-THIRD YJENS NYGAARD, OF BIGKLVETON, WASHINGTON. i y v I STIRRUR Specification rof Letters Il-atent..V

l Patented May a, 1915.

y Application filed October 31, 1914. Serial No. 869,658.

T0 all whom, it may concern Be it known that I, NOBLE W. LEAD- BETTER, a citizen of the United States, residing' at Bickleton, in the county of Klickitat and State of Vashington, have invented new and useful Improvements in Stirrups, of which the following is a specification.

This'invention relatesto stirrups of that class which are generally known as 4safety stirrups and which are distinguished thereby that provision is made for the detachment of the foot Vof the rider from the stirrup in case of accident.

The invention has for its object to produce a stirrup of simple andimproved construction having a hinged tread and means.

for supporting they tread in normal position for use. I

A. further object of the invention is to produce a tread comprising two telescoping or collapsible sections and equipped with supporting Vmeans adapted to be actuated by the collapsing or said sections.v l

With these and other ends in view which will'readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the'same consists in the improved construction and novel arrangement and combination of parts which will be herinafter -fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

lIn the` accompanying drawing has been illustrated a simple and preferred form of the invention, it being, however', understood that no limitation is necessarily madel to the precise structural details therein eX- hibited, but that changes, alterations and modifications within the scope of the claims may be resorted to when desired.

ln the drawing, Figure 1 is va side -view of a stirrup constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is an end viewof the same. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional viewk telescoping action of one edge with the side member 15 by means of hinges 18, the opposite or free edge of said treadbeing detachably connected with and supported by the vother side members 16, as will be presently described.

The tread may be described as consisting of a housing composed of two U-shaped members 19, 20 which are assembled together in telescopic relation, as clearly seen in Fig,l 5. The member 19 is composed of top and bottom plates 21, 22 which are connected together and spaced apart, by a bridge piecea. The member 20 is composed of a bottom plate 23 and a top flange 24, said plate andflange being connected together andspaced apart by a bridge piece b. Thepart 24 is described as a flange rather than a plate because its width and superficial area is much less than that of the parts, described asplates 21, 22 and 28. In assembling the members 19 and 20 together the top plate 21 vof the member 19 is slightly overlapped by the flange 24 of they member 20, while the bottom plate 22 of the member 19 extends beneath the greater portion of the bottom plate 23 ofy the member 20.

`The hinges 18 which have been *previouslykr v stirrupuare connected with the member 19 of the housingthat constitutes the tread, so

that the said hinges will in no wise interfere with the sliding or telescoping move-v ment ofthe member'2() of Vsaid housing. Fulcrumed on the underside of the top plate 21 of the member 19 are` levers 25, 26 having hooked ends 27 that project slightly beyond the free edge of the housing.l The inner end of the lever 25 is connected by a link 28 with one arm of a lever 29 which is also fulcrumed on the under face of theV plate 21; the other arm of the lever 29 is piv'otally connected with one end of a link 30, the other end of which is pivotally connected with the under face of the flange 24 of the member 20. The inner end of the lever 26 is also pivotally connected with one end of a link 31, the other end of which is pivoted on the underside of the flange 24. A spring 32 serves to connect the outer ends of the levers 25, 26 together, the tension of said spring also serving through the intermediate connections to move the member 20 outwardly with respect to the memberl 19.

ledge or flange 33 serving normally to support the projecting ends of the levers 25, 26,

said ends forming hooks 27 that engage pins or obstructions 34 rising from the ledge or flange 33 and limiting the movement of the levers 25, 26 under the tension of the spring 32.

When the parts are assembled, as will be seen in the drawing, the projecting ends 27 of the levers 25, 26 will be normally supported on the ledge or flange 33, thereby sup porting the tread plate or member C in position to suppo-rt the foot of the rider.

Should the rider be thrown without being able to disengage his feet from the stirrup, the unusual pressure against the bridge piece Z) of the member 2O will slide or tele-scope said member in an inward direction with relation to the member 19, thus actuating the levers 25, 26 through the intermediate connections against the tension of the spring 32 and thus disengaging the ends of the levers from the flange 33, thereby permitting the tread member C to swing upon the hinge 18, and thus instantly releasing the foot of the rider.

As will be seen from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawing, I have produced a stirrup of simple and inexpensive construction by means of which accidents due to entanglement of the foot with the stirrup will be avoided. The improved device niay be made in various sizes and of any desired material or combination of materials. 1

` Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is

l. In a safety stirrup, a body having side members, a tread member connecte-d hingedly with one of the side members, and a ledge' levers to disengage them from the ledge by tele-.scoping or sliding movement of the last mentioned tread member.

2. In a safety stirrup, a body having sidey members, one of which is provided with a ledge, tread member hingedly connected with the other side member and having spring `actuated levers with projecting ends ada ted to be supported on the ledge,

stop mem ers on the ledge in the path of the projecting ends of the levers, a second tread member supported slidably or telescopically with respect to the first mentioned tread member, and means connecting the levers fulcrumed on the first mentioned tread member ywith the last mentioned tre-ad memberwhereby slidingv movement of said lastmentioned tread member will operate the levers against the tension of the actuat-- ing spring. f l

3. In a device of the class described, a stirrup body having side members one of which is provided with a ledge, a U-shaped tread member connected hingedly with the other side member, spring actuated levers fulcrumed on the under face of the top plate of said U-shaped member and having proj ecting ends adapted to be supported on the ledge, a second tread member disposed telescopically with respect to the first mentioned tread member, said second tread member including a flange slightly overlapping the top plateof the first mentioned tread member, and -connecting means including links connecting the spring actuated levers with the flange of the second tread member, whereby telescoping movement o f said vsecond tread'menrber with respect to the rst mentioned tread memlber will result inv operating the levers against the tension of the actuating'spring to disengage the projecting ends of said levers" from the supporting ledge.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature in presence 'of'two witnesses.

I. NOBLE W. LEADBETTER.

Witnesses:

KATHARINE LEADBETTER, HERBERT EVERETT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each', 'by addressing :the Commissioner of Patents,v

Washington, D. U. 

